Trumann builds on its factory-town legacy with new projects
Trumann is a small industrial city surrounded by farmland in the Arkansas Delta. The St. Francis River, just east of the community, is home to nationally famous duck-hunting swamps. Outside of duck season, Trumann's slowly growing population hovers around 7,400. For most of the 20th century, Trumann was a Singer Company town, with housing and amenities for workers. Operations concluded in the 1980s – a significant economic blow – but a local manufacturer has taken up the torch. Today, Roach Manufacturing Corporation is one of Trumann’s largest employers. “We’re like a lot of little towns where the interstate came in and killed our downtown, but it’s coming back,” says longtime resident Rick McKenzie, executive broker of Crye-Leike. “New stuff is happening; [Roach Manufacturing] is investing a lot of money in a new multi-use development. It’s slowly progressing now, and really improving the northeast corner of town.” The conveyor manufacturing company’s Steel Creek Development is slated to bring new commercial, retail, warehouse and residential real estate to Trumann.
Mix of vintage and modern homes in a storm-prone area
Home prices in Trumann roughly range from less than $100,000 to the high $300,000s. Vintage homes in the area include quaint midcentury shotgun-style houses and bungalows, many of which were originally built for Singer employees and their families. Other popular residences include classic ranch-style residences and new-construction contemporary homes, such as the New Traditional properties that have steadily cropped up since 2020. Trumann is in Dixie Alley, an area vulnerable to tornadoes and windstorms. Tornadoes can occur anytime, but they are most common in the spring between March and May.
Trumann High earns a B-minus and offers athletics and CTE
Trumann School District has an overall C-plus on Niche and serves around 1,600 students across four campuses in the community. The district’s youngest learners may start school at the ungraded Trumann Pre-K. Trumann Elementary, for kindergarten through third grade, and Trumann Middle, for fourth through seventh grade, both earn a C. Trumann High has eighth through twelfth grade and a B-minus. Home of the Wildcats, it offers a variety of athletic programs – including volleyball, football, cheer and golf – and career and technical education classes in agriculture, healthcare, computer science and various other fields. Higher education is less than 20 miles northwest at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
Annual duck festival and parks bring local families together
Trumann has several pocket parks with playgrounds and open green space. The central athletic hub, Trumann Recreation Center, features a mini water park for kids. Beyond the city, the St. Francis River is home to the Sunken Lands, a depressed, 30,000-acre mix of swamp and bottomland hardwood forests formed by a series of earthquakes in the early 1800s. It’s a national destination for waterfowl hunters, especially those after ducks, a historic draw celebrated annually with the Trumann Wild Duck Festival. Since the 1980s, the family-friendly celebration has brought all sorts of entertainment to town, from carnival rides and car shows to parades and yellow duck races. “Every booth spot sells out every year,” McKenzie says. Local and visiting golfers kick off the festivities the weekend before during an annual golf tournament at Trumann Country Club.
Local staples and chain restaurants serve the Trumann area
Walmart Supercenter, gas stations and some chain fast-food joints are on the community’s west side, right by Interstate 555. Most other shopping and dining options, including some local staples, line AR Highway 463. Back in the 1980s, Jerry’s Steakhouse started as one man’s dream, a fireplace and a modded backyard grill; today, it’s a mainstay known for its jukebox and Southern menu. As for healthcare, Trumann has a medical center, various private practices, and clinics, but the closest 24-hour emergency facility is at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, less than 20 miles away.
Easy access to Jonesboro via I-555 and Highway 436
On the community’s west side, there is a ramp onto Interstate 555 – a straight shot into the heart of Jonesboro, less than 20 miles away. AR Highway 436 is another direct route to Jonesboro, home to Jonesboro Municipal Airport, which has daily flights to Nashville, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri. Memphis International Airport is between 60 and 70 miles southeast.
Written By
Micaela Willoughby
